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NC man free after he was found with 17 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore

NC man free after he was found with 17 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore

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Updated: 10:52 PM EST Mar 8, 2019

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WITHOUT BAIL FOR 30 DAYS. >> FEW GOING TO COME OUT AND TELL THE PEOPLE I AM NOT GOING TO PROSECUTE HOW MUCH YOU HAVE ON YOU, THEN WHY AREYOU MAKING THEM SIT IN JAIL. VANESSA: IN LATE JANUARY, BALTIMORE CITY STATE’S ATTORNEY MARILYN MOSBY ANNOUNCED MARIJUANA POSESSION CASES WOULD NO LONGER BE PROSECUTED REGARDLESS OF WEIGHT OR A PERSON’S CRIMINAL RECOR HER OFFICE WILL PROSECUTE DISTRIBUTION OF MARIJUANA AS LONG AS THERE IS EVIDENC OF INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE DWIGHT CHINYEE HAD 17 LARGE CLEAR HEAT-SEALED BAGS OF MARIJUANA IN THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR MDTA POLICE SAY THE MARIJUANA WEIGHED 17-POUNDS AND WAS PACKED IN A MANNER THAT’S CONSISTENT WITH POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE. >> YOU CAN BUY 48 BOTTLES OF WATER. YOU CAN BUY OTHER PRODUCTS IN BULK, IT JUST MEANS YOU’RE TAKING IT HOME AND USING OVERTIME. VANESSA: IN A STATEMENT ISSUED AFTER THE CHARGES WERE DROPPED. A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE SAO WROTE, THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT WE INITIALLY CONSIDERED THAT WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE DISTRIBUTION CHARGES IN THIS CASE HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION, OUR PROSECUTORS DETERMINED THAT THE FACTS DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND MERE POSSESSION THE MDTA POLICE UNION IS PUSHING BACK. IN A STATEMENT, THE PRESIDENT WROTE, IT IS INCREDIBLY DISTURBING THAT AN OFFICER OF THE COURT WOULD RELEASE A SUSPECT BACK ON THE STREET THAT HAD BEEN ARRESTED WITH SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL DRUG AND WENT ON TO SAY, THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL GO RIGHT BACK TO DISTRIBUTING ILLEGAL DRUGS AS SOON AS HE CAN. >> SOUR GRAPES. MY CLIENT DOES NOT HAVE A RECORD, WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? VANESSA: GARCIA TELLS ME HIS CLIENT IS BACK IN NORTH CAROLINA, TONIGHT. LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE, VANESSA HERRING, WBAL TV 11 NE

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NC man free after he was found with 17 pounds of marijuana in Baltimore

A Baltimore lawyer says his client lost his job after spending a month in jail on marijuana charges, even though Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby changed her policy to no longer prosecute possession cases.Dwight Chinyee is a free man. He was charged Feb. 5 with importing marijuana and possession with intent to distribute.Police say the North Carolina man had 17 pounds of marijuana when he was pulled over for speeding. Chinyee was arrested and held without bail for 30 days."If you're going to come on out and tell the people, 'Hey, I'm not going to prosecute people, no matter how much you have on you,' then why are you making them sit in jail?" said attorney Tony Garcia. In late January, Mosby announced marijuana possession cases would no longer be prosecuted, regardless of weight or a person's criminal record.Her office will prosecute distribution of marijuana as long as there is evidence of intent to distribute.According to the statement of probable cause, Chinyee had 17 large, clear, heat-sealed bags of marijuana in the trunk of his car.Maryland Transportation Authority police say the marijuana weighed 17 pounds and was packed in a manner that's consistent with possession with intent to distribute. "You can buy 48 bottles of water, you can buy other products in bulk. It just means you take it home and you use it over time," said Garcia. In a statement issued after the charges were dropped, a spokeswoman for the State's Attorney's Office wrote: "There were several factors that we initially considered that were supportive of the distribution charges in this case. However, after further review and investigation, our prosecutors determined that the facts did not extend beyond mere possession."The MDTA police union is pushing back. In a statement, the president wrote: "It is incredibly disturbing that an officer of the court would release a suspect back on the street that had been arrested with such a large amount of illegal drugs." They went on to say, "There is no doubt this individual will go right back to distributing illegal drugs as soon as he can." The full statement can be found here. "Sour grapes. My client doesn't have a record. What are they talking about?" said Garcia.Garcia tells 11 News his client is already back in North Carolina.

Her office will prosecute distribution of marijuana as long as there is evidence of intent to distribute.

According to the statement of probable cause, Chinyee had 17 large, clear, heat-sealed bags of marijuana in the trunk of his car.

Maryland Transportation Authority police say the marijuana weighed 17 pounds and was packed in a manner that's consistent with possession with intent to distribute.

"You can buy 48 bottles of water, you can buy other products in bulk. It just means you take it home and you use it over time," said Garcia.

In a statement issued after the charges were dropped, a spokeswoman for the State's Attorney's Office wrote: "There were several factors that we initially considered that were supportive of the distribution charges in this case. However, after further review and investigation, our prosecutors determined that the facts did not extend beyond mere possession."

The MDTA police union is pushing back. In a statement, the president wrote: "It is incredibly disturbing that an officer of the court would release a suspect back on the street that had been arrested with such a large amount of illegal drugs." They went on to say, "There is no doubt this individual will go right back to distributing illegal drugs as soon as he can." The full statement can be found here.

"Sour grapes. My client doesn't have a record. What are they talking about?" said Garcia.